Seed topography in the Fabaceae

Abstract

Lack of legume seed morphology data, which are often conservative and stable, essentially has prevented their use during phylogenetic deliberations. Major external and internal topographic features of legume seeds are defined and illustrated: cuticle, testa, radicular lobe, epihilum, hilum, hilar groove, hilar groove lips, aril, rim-aril, hilar rim, halo or eye, micropyle, lens, chalaza, raphe, antiraphe, pleurogram, areole, fracture lines, light line, endosperm, embryo, cotyledon, embryonic axis, radicle, hypocotyl, epicotyl, and plumule. Seed characters are summarised for the three subfamilies and the 41 tribes. Five hundred and ten of the 645 genera in the family have been studied.